Govt increases 500 seats in Gujjar & Bakerwal hostels: Zulfkar

SRINAGAR, MAY 18: Minister for School Education, Haj and Auqaf and Tribal Affairs, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, today informed that Government has enhanced in take capacity of Gujjar and Bakerwal (G&B) hostels by 500 seats across the State.

The Minister said this at a meeting organized to review the functioning of Tribal Affairs Department.

He said that so far the hostels were accommodating 2100 students, but from this year 500 more seats have been added to take the number to 2600 within the already sanctioned budget.

Zulfkar Ali said the Government is intending to almost double the number to 5000 seats for next financial year with around 19 hostels already under construction.

He also informed that all the 23 G&B hostels across the State are to be converted into residential schools. To make them model schools, the Minister said that under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the schools will get logistical support including desks, blackboards, and other related things. He further revealed that faculty for these schools will come from Directorate of Education, Jammu and Kashmir.

To ensure the work gets done at an earliest, the Minister directed Secretary Advisory Board to submit a compliance report by the end of this month to check if all the hostels converted into residential schools are made functional. He said that by next month, all the residential schools across the State would be e-inaugurated.

He also directed to ensure that two Eklaviya Residential Schools are made operational at an earliest.

Vice-Chairman J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjars and Bakerwals Gulzar Ahmad Khatana, Secretary Tribal Affairs (TA) Salma Hamid, Special Secretary TA Mohammed Sharief Chowdhary, Director Finance TA Dr S K Sain, Secretary Advisory Board Mukhtar Chowdhary and other concerned were present in the meeting.